Children born before marriage but with fathers surname

[duckweed]

Can children born before their parents married still be with parents names when they were registered. Donald Daniel D Bullivant and wife have 5 children, 4 have name Bullivant on birth certificate and mothers name McNally. Mother had married several years before to an American GI and then got divorced. 2 of the children were definitely born before marriage but still have both parents names in the Free BMD. A fifth one seems to have a different Mothers name but there is no details of a marriage between Donald and the mother so could illegitimate children still be registered with fathers name?

 

[Lincoln Lad]

As long as the father either made a statutory declaration of paternity or attended the registration, yes it is possible for the child to be registered in the fathers name.

 

[duckweed]

Thanks. I presume what happened was she left first husband and went home and then met her 2nd husband to be but the divorce took a while coming through because he was in USA and they chose to live as man and wife anyway.

 

[benny1982]

As long as the father either made a statutory declaration of paternity or attended the registration, yes it is possible for the child to be registered in the fathers name.

I think this rule was bought into force in 1875.

 

[gwenythgreen]

I think this rule was bought into force in 1875.

Hi All

On the Bustin side of my tree I have a couple who had 11 children between 1838 and 1863, all except the first were baptised in the fathers name but I can find no record of a marriage having taken place.

Gwen

 

[benny1982]

Hi

Sometimes they were baptised after the parents married.

Ben

 

[gwenythgreen]

Hi

Sometimes they were baptised after the parents married.

Ben

I have searched all the Woolvercott and Oxford registers as well as G.R.O. The first child was born to Sophiah Robinson 1n 1838 as Charles Robinson but in the 1841 Census he appears as Charles Bustin and his Mother is now Bustin but no marriage recorded!

Gwen

 

[juliejtp]

My gt gran was born before her parents married even though the birth certificate indicates that the parents where married.

 

[susanwillis59]

my hubbys great grandparents had 10 kids. the first was born in the workhouse, she was given her mothers name trotter she then went on to have another nine kids with henry jeffries all the kids were called jeffries even the first one jane born in the workhouse , we still not sure if henry jeffries was her dad. her and janes mother alice trotter were never married and all the children were baptised. was talking to a historian recently and she said that they could not afford to get married .as had to pay the priest,ect.and it was common practice that people did not get married, similar to today, needless to say they stayed together all their lives and had a massive family, all of whom got married. so it seems as if it did not matter is they were married or not the church obviously still baptised the kids. i was born in 1959 and my mother was not married i was still baptised, but no fathers name on the birth certif.it abit like today couples live together , many as they cannot afford to get married.suex

 

[benny1982]

One of mine was baptised 3 months after her parents wed and she was born just before.